Heavy hearted folk song

(Baonghean) - They are folk artists, professional singers; or simply farmers with muddy hands and feet... But what they have in common is their love for the Vi and Dam folk songs, always struggling to find ways to preserve and promote the folk heritage. Every day, they silently and diligently find ways to pass on to the younger generation their love for the Vi and Dam folk songs of Nghe An; find ways to spread folk songs in community life...

Folk artist Le Thi Bich Thuy:“From the folk song…”

Artist Le Thi Bich Thuy, a music teacher at Kim Lien Primary School (Nam Dan) told us that her passion for folk songs originated from the folk songs that her grandmother used to sing. As soon as her grandmother started singing, little Thuy, even if she was crying, would stop. The singing made little Thuy feel sad early on, but also reminded herself to live a meaningful and loving life.

Artist Le Thi Bich Thuy.

Born in 1970, in Hung Tien, Kim Lien, Nam Dan district, later married to Sen 4 hamlet - Kim Lien, Le Thi Bich Thuy is one of the youngest people to be awarded the title of artisan. One of the times she sang and shed tears was when her grandmother was seriously ill. Bich Thuy stood by her grandmother's bed, holding her trembling hand: "Grandma, you used to sing to me, now I sing to you, can you hear me clearly...". Then she choked up: "Who knows whether the Lam River water is clear or turbid/ Only then will she know that life is both shameful and glorious/ My boat goes up and down rapids/ The country is the meaning, the love, oh everyone...".

Le Thi Bich Thuy recounted that in May of that year, when she was not yet 10 years old, on the occasion of Uncle Ho's Birthday, she stood on stage and sang the song "Looking at the tree and remembering him" (revised by musician Do Nhuan) and hundreds of audiences listened in silence and shed tears. She knew that those profound folk songs had become an inseparable part of her life. After leaving high school, she was admitted to Nghe Tinh Cultural and Information High School, music pedagogy class. There she had the opportunity to improve her qualifications and develop her qualities. When she became a music teacher, she always learned about Nghe folk songs and constantly studied to improve her professional qualifications and skills. She also continued to attend the Central College of Music and Art class. In addition to her main job as a music teacher, she also participates in many local cultural and artistic movements, is a member of the Kim Lien - Nam Dan Fabric Ward Folk Song Club and is the main singer for the club. Besides, she also organizes programs and teaches folk songs to the younger generation.

Regarding Kim Lien, everyone from the elderly to the children knows about Bich Thuy. She is a prominent face in the folk song festivals of her home province. Bich Thuy is fluent in many folk songs such as Vi Do Dua Song Lam, Vi Do Dua Song La, Vi Phuong Vai, Vi Phuong Tea, Vi Di Cay, Vi Dong Rung, Vi Climbing Mountain; Dam Cua Quyen, Dam Duc Son, Dam Ve, Dam Ke, Dam Noi; Ho Tren Song, Ho Roi Thuyen, Ho Dam Dat De Di Di Di, Ho Nghe, Ho Khoan Di Duong,... She has won many awards in art competitions and folk song festivals in the province as well as outside the province. These are A and B prizes in the Lang Sen Singing Festival at the district and provincial levels, Gold Medal in the "Sea of ​​Singing" Festival in Da Nang, Silver Medal in the Teachers' Singing Festival organized by the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi, Second Prize in the Good Singing Festival on Nghe An Radio and Television. And even more special, she often composes new lyrics for folk songs to suit each program in Nghe An Folk Song festivals.

A great joy for her is that her son - Nguyen Quoc Bao sings folk songs very well. Quoc Bao won the Special Prize in the folk song singing contest in schools organized by the Department of Education and Training in 2010, when Quoc Bao was only 6 years old. In 2012, Nguyen Quoc Bao became the best young folk singer in the Nghe An Folk Song Festival organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. When Nguyen Bich Thuy heard that Vi and Dam folk songs were honored as a World Cultural Heritage, she was extremely happy. She said: "Once again in my life, folk songs made me cry. This time it was because the joy was so great."

Vinh - Huong

Folk artist Vu Thi Bich Que:The "fire-bearer"

When mentioning folk songs and Vi Dam in Quynh Luu, it is impossible not to mention Ms. Vu Thi Bich Que (born in 1961) - Head of the folk song and music club of Quynh Thang commune. She is an important factor in preserving and promoting this unique cultural form in the locality by bringing folk songs and Vi Dam to everyone, every home.

Born and raised in the poor countryside of Dien Van commune, Dien Chau district, in a family of 5 siblings. In 1976, she left school and went with her family to the mountainous commune of Quynh Thang to reclaim land and build a new economic zone.

Folk song practice session of Quynh Thang Commune Club (Quynh Luu).

In 1977, she participated in the local Youth Union activities. Thanks to her singing talent, she was encouraged by the Commune Cultural Committee to join the commune's semi-professional art troupe. Since then, she and the art troupe have always been present in all hamlets, villages, units, agencies, and schools to perform. Not only touring in the commune, she has also participated in many mobile propaganda teams; participated in the mass art troupe in the district; and participated in the Sen Village Singing Festival organized by the province. In 2000, she was invited by the leaders of the 215th Brigade to participate in the Lullaby and Folk Song Festival for Women of the Army and won a Gold Medal with the song "Ten Graces of Parents".

Implementing the policy of the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Heritage, the Quynh Thang Commune Folk Song and Instrument Club was established, and Ms. Que was assigned the responsibility of being the club's manager. With her enthusiasm, dynamism and creativity, in a short time she has built an action plan, motivating and attracting 26 members to join the club. Ms. Que constantly researches and creates new folk melodies to practice with the members. Up to now, the Quynh Thang Commune Folk Song and Instrument Club has attracted 34 members to participate in activities, of which the oldest member is 77 years old; the youngest member is 10 years old. Every week, the club meets twice a week on Saturday and Sunday evenings, this is an opportunity for everyone in the club to sit together to exchange experiences, research and collect good performances to include in the program. Therefore, each performance program of the Club is always new, creative and conveys meaningful content to the audience through each rustic folk song and tune.

In the Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam Folk Song Festival organized by the People's Committee of Nghe An province at Yen Thanh cluster in 2014, she herself collected and composed the play "Joining hands to weave a picture of the countryside" about the major policy of the Party and State in building a new countryside and won the first prize. Other performances won the second prize; the Club won the second prize for the whole group. In addition, the Club has won many other high prizes in the Nghe Tinh Vi and Dam Folk Song Festival competitions.

She herself was awarded the Medal "For the cause of culture and information" by the Ministry of Culture and many other awards.

Viet Hung(Quynh Luu Radio)

Singer Song Thao:“Just me when singing folk songs”

Early shaping of folk music style because of his "fated" love for Folk songs, "vi" and "dam" through his mother's lullabies during his childhood, singer Song Thao - First Prize in folk genre of Sao Mai 2013 contest in the Southern region has created for himself a solid position in the hearts of music lovers in Ho Chi Minh City.

Singer Song Thao.

Born and raised in Phuc Son (Anh Son), the little girl Nguyen Thi Thao - real name of singer Song Thao has a "thin, dark skin" figure as she confessed about herself, going through a difficult childhood when she lost her father early. The family has 2 siblings, Thao is the youngest, but her sensitivity and instinctive delicacy have planted many feelings in her heart, when every day, she witnessed her mother working hard in the fields and the difficult situation of the family when she lost the breadwinner. In that not-so-distant memory, singer Song Thao still cannot forget the afternoons when the work was over, the mother and children sat on the porch to enjoy the cool breeze, and the folk songs of Vi and Dam, sung by her mother's passionate voice, forever sobbed in her heart. Having a natural talent for singing, and having "absorbed" her mother's lyrics and singing since she was a child, Thao has always been a famous "artist" throughout the commune and district. Growing up in the peaceful cradle of village music, Thao quickly left many marks on the path of art. There is still a feeling of nostalgia when remembering the award for youngest singer and best actor at the Vi and Dam Folk Song Festival of Anh Son district in 2004; being moved when being honored with the Golden Prize for Duet at the Art Festival of the provinces in the North Central region; and most recently, the First Prize in the folk genre of the Sao Mai 2013 competition in the Southern region and being in the top 10 of the final night of the Sao Mai Awards nationwide and in the European region in 2013...

The halo on the stage lights, until now, after nearly 10 years on the artistic path, singer Song Thao said, always silently thanking the Folk songs of Vi and Dam for giving her voice wings to fly far, and she can only be herself when performing the soulful songs of her homeland. Currently, she is living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. In this urban area, there is still a separate space for the Folk songs of Vi and Dam to shine, and more and more people come to enjoy them. "That proves that the vitality of Vi and Dam has spread far. I have never lost faith in the Folk songs of Vi and Dam in this context of integration and development" - singer Song Thao shared.

Phuoc Anh